Chennai, March 3, 2026 — Travellers who were stranded in Dubai after the US-Israel strike on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, including strikes affecting UAE airspace, described a tense wait before being flown back to India and expressed relief on return.
Passengers and families who had been in transit or on holiday said they heard explosions, saw missile activity at night and witnessed debris at the airport while they waited for flights to resume. Many thanked Indian central and state authorities for arranging their repatriation.
A passenger identifying herself as Shubha, flying from New York with a scheduled layover in Dubai, said the situation was frightening. She said Dubai closed its airspace on Saturday afternoon and airlines and airport authorities promptly moved passengers into hotels. She recounted reports that shrapnel or debris had fallen at the airport, and said explosions were audible every few hours while she stayed in the hotel. She added that seeing missiles at night made the stay particularly unnerving and that she was grateful to be back home safely.
Chennai resident Karthik, who had travelled to Dubai with his family on February 24, said they were due to return on Saturday but were held up when flights were suspended. He said they could hear the sounds of missiles during their stay in hotel accommodation arranged by authorities and were relieved to obtain tickets and return to Chennai on Tuesday.
Syed Ali, from Nagoor in Tamil Nadu, described chaotic scenes at the airport, including children crying as people tried to secure onward travel. He praised hotel staff who helped accommodate large numbers of travellers, and estimated nearly 20,000 people waiting in long queues before being relocated to hotels. Ali thanked both central and state governments for assistance in arranging safe returns.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin directed the Non-Resident Tamils Welfare and Rehabilitation Department to check on Tamils in Gulf countries and the state set up a 24-hour control room at Tamil Nadu House in Delhi to assist passengers. Political leaders including AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss urged the Union government to take steps to protect Tamils living in West Asia.
Billionaire Nirav Modi, who was also stranded in Dubai amid the conflict, was photographed with his twins at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as his wife kissed one of their children, according to Reuters.
